It's the journey that matters, not the ending
by Sir Estheim I
Summary: A short story about a train ride, exploring some ruins and a relationship starting to bloom. After FFXIII-2, AU. Cover art is by an artist whose username on pixiv is pochi.
1. Chapter 1: Some Things

**Authors Notes**

**Just a little short story to keep you going till I'm done with my exams. I'll be writing my main story again soon.**

**As always the characters and places named within this story belong to square enix. But the story belongs to me.**

**I actually came up with the plot to the fic when sitting on a train.**

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Chapter 1: Some Things (Never Change)

'_After the fall nothing was the same, but the L'cie had changed their fate and were for the first time in many years, happy.'_

"I'm going to kill you Snow Villiers."

'_Maybe I spoke too soon.'_

Hope Estheim looked up from his journal, knowing that today was going to be a hard but _fun _day. Serah had always ridiculed him for being so negative so he just coated his words with sarcasm and that seemed to be enough for her.

"You'll have to catch me first, _Sis_!" Snow shouted causing the attention of the cabins passengers to be turned on him.

Hope winced, he knew what was coming after that. Lightning hated when Snow called her 'Sis'.

"I'm not your sister" she growled charging at the gigantic man.

"Oh sh-" He exclaimed before running out of the doorway and into the adjacent carriage.

'_That's not going to end well.'_

Serah turned to Hope suddenly, "Now that they're gone we can have a mature chat."

'_Oh no'. _Hope gulped audibly. "Yeah sure." He said worriedly "What about?" He finished knowing exactly _who_ it would be about.

"Well you know how you've always had a little crush on my big sister?" she said teasingly moving to flick his head. Hope stopped her before she could, 'I'm 24 for makers sake why won't she treat me like an adult, I'm technically older than her.'

"Yes I remember" he replied reluctantly.

"Got anything special planned?"

"What? N-No."

'Damnit, I'm reverting to being 14 again.' Hope thought, angry with himself. 'I'd be lying if I said I didn't still like her though.'

After a pause he continued the conversation, "Anyway, she doesn't feel the same way. She still thinks I'm a child… Just like everyone else."

"Aww don't think like that." Serah replied while smiling trying to appease Hope.

"What should I think then Serah?"

"Hmm… Maybe you should be the best man you can?" She shrugged and punched him playfully. "And you could actually talk to her for once. I know she likes talking to you." Serah added quickly covering her mouth. 'Obviously she had said something I wasn't supposed to hear.'

"Oh really?" Hope raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What else aren't you telling me about the mysterious Lightning Farron?" He questioned. Now it was her turn to try and squirm out of an awkward situation.

"…Nothing…?" she ventured hopefully. As always Hopes scientific curiosity was coming through. "Stop looking at me like that" Serah said chuckling.

"Like what?"

"Like you're about to dissect me."

"Who says I'm not?"

Serah looked at him with a serious look, similar to her sister's.

"Just tell me." Hope half asked, half commanded.

"Sorry, sisters vow of silence. My lips are sealed." Serah smirked. Hope rolled his eyes, "Hey, don't get sarcy on me mister." He could see he would get nowhere interrogating the younger Farron, she could be as stubborn as Lightning sometimes.

"Fine." Hope mumbled, defeated. "Do you know anything about the ruins at Paddra?"

"No, I don't. Please enlighten me." Serah said it in a mean way but was smiling.

"Well, they're believed to be millions of years old. But that's not the reason we are going there."

"Why are we going there then?" She asked.

"You'll see" he answered vaguely.

"That's not fair" Serah exclaimed.

"Well if you're going to keep secrets then so am I." Said Hope, who stuck out his tongue in defiance.

Soon after crashing sounds could be heard from the adjoining carriage. Serah and Hope both looked around slowly, wincing in anticipation, to see what the commotion was before seeing Snow get punched head first through the door.

"Lightning?!" Serah shouted. "Stop trying to kill my fiancé."

"He'll be fine, I've made him apologise for his transgressions."

Hope chuckled jovially. _'Some things never change.'_

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**Authors Notes**

**Well, that was fun. I hope you had fun reading the start of this story but if you want more you're going to have to show me you liked it. So give the story a follow or even give a review to tell me what you think of this story.**

**Vocabulary: Sarcy (in case you didn't know) is a British colloquialism and abbreviation of sarcastic.**


	2. Chapter 2: Uh Oh!

**Authors Notes**

**This chapter was really fun to write hope you enjoy it.**

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Chapter 2: Uh Oh!

'_Well… that was interesting.'_ thought Hope as he helped Snow to his feet.

The big man was heavy but Hope managed to lift him despite Lightning suggesting that she could throw Snow into his seat.

After Lightning and Snow's "disagreement" as Serah put it. The two had to be separated like children to stop them from fighting again. Serah now kept Snow company while Hope had the pleasure of subduing Lightning.

"Are you still mad at him?" Hope asked.

No answer.

"I'll take that as a yes then." He joked and Lightning smirked a little at that. He always knew the ways to calm her down, no matter what the problem was.

"How do you do that?" She asked vaguely.

"Do what?" A confused Hope asked.

"You always manage to break down my defences. You're the only one…" she trailed off, clearly thinking about him.

'_Maybe she does like me?'_ Hope mentally suggested. He decided to tease her to try and get more information out of her. "You daydreaming about me again Light?" he said arrogantly.

"N-No…" She blurted out before blushing furiously. "Anyway you're just a kid" she coldly answered, regaining her composure.

"A kid that's taller than you!" He joked, even though it was a serious point.

Lightning then reached over and flicked him on the head, like she used to when he was younger. He still reacted in the same way even after all this time.

"Ow… Light. Makers mercy, that stings." Hope moaned. _'I'll get her back later.'_ he thought maliciously.

He stared at her angrily. Her icy blue eyes interlocking with his emerald ones and he couldn't help but smile and laugh, she had always had this effect on him. He hoped one day she would share in his happiness.

Lightning abruptly changed the pace of the conversation, "I'm going to get a drink, you coming?"

"Of course" he said smiling whilst standing up to let Light go ahead of him.

They walked along the train while the world rushed past. They didn't speak until they got to the bar.

"What do you want Hope?" She asked. "First drink is on me." She finished.

'I want to seem tough in front of Lightning but I know I can't handle the same amount of alcohol as her' he thought considering his options carefully.

"Hmm… Umm…"

"Come on Hope we haven't got all day"

"Okay give me a minute Light… I'll have a Chocobo Cider" he finished. Chocobo Cider was Hope's favourite drink. Not just because it had a picture of a Chocobo on the bottle but because of its sweet taste and the disclaimer which stated 'No Chocobos were harmed in the making of this beverage'.

"Good choice" said the burly barman.

Lightning nodded in agreement and then said "Make that two."

Hope was surprised and at the same time suspicious of Lightning, he decided to question her on the way back.

Hope held the two bottles in one hand while walking back to the carriage. He then held them up and asked "Why'd you pick the same drink as me?"

Lightning; quick as her namesake replied "Because it's my favourite, and also because it's cheap."

"No way. It's my favourite too." Hope gasped._ 'You really do learn something new every day.' _he thought happily.

Suddenly the train began to shake as if some turbulence was rocking it from side to side and Hope accidently fell onto Lightning knocking her over as well. 'Uh oh' he thought as he felt something squishy underneath his free hand…

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**Authors Notes**

**Oh dear, Hope what have you gotten yourself into now. It was all going so well. Btw guys did you like the idea of Chocobo Cider? It's just something that I thought up because I like Cider and I know most people from Cocoon love Chocobos.**

**As always keep reading and reviewing.**


	3. Chapter 3: Possibilities

**Authors Notes**

**Well I made this chapter much longer, but it was fun. I managed to put more detail into the story so it's a bit more interesting. Enjoy. DISCLAIMER: Mild Cussing and Swearing in this chapter. (I guess that's why I rated it Teen though).**

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Chapter 3: Possibilites

'_Oh crap, I'm so dead.'_

Hope didn't often get into much trouble with Lightning, he always tried to stay on her good side. It wasn't hard because she had a soft spot for him anyway and if he did in some way anger her, he apologized immediately. This was different though, it was an accident and he couldn't possibly be held responsible for it. _'At least… I hope so.'_ he thought anxiously before opening his eyes.

Upon opening he found a stunningly beautiful Lightning staring back at him in surprise with her uniquely transfixing blue eyes. They both stared deeply into each other's eyes, time becoming irrelevant. Hope then felt his face heat up. He began blushing and sweating profusely under her gaze and had to break away, but when he returned his eyes to her face he saw his emotions reflected. He had made Lightning Farron blush. Her face was flushed and her breathing heavy.

Lightning then whispered to him, "Hope…"

And when he didn't react "Hope!"

"Oh! Sorry Light! I-I… didn't…" he stumbled on his words, stuttering when he realised he was being talked to and what he had his hand placed upon. He composed himself, "Oh Maker! Sorry Light. I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay…" she whispered. "Can you let go now? I think I'm starting to get a bruise." She joked and then smirked when Hope realised he was still clinging to her chest.

'_Kill me now… How could this get any more embarrassing?'_ Hope questioned whilst lifting himself off of Lightning.

Shortly after Hope's question would be answered as Lightning grabbed him by the shoulders so that she was on top. Her lips glided oh so close to his and Hope was about to go in for the kill. She smelled nice naturally, Hope noticed. Not like Serah, who often smelled of strawberry perfume, Hope remembered this from their 'mature chat' earlier. Hope was hopelessly enthralled by Lightning. _'I want to say something…'_ but Hope would have to wait until later…

* * *

A large shadow covered the corridor for the briefest moment. "I knew it!" shouted Snow as he looked into the corridor from the adjoining carriage. He then began running towards where Serah was seated, making the train rock because of his immense size. The way he acted however was like an immensely large child. "SERAH!" he exclaimed ecstatically. "You called it!"

Hope quickly broke out of the shock caused by this sudden embarrassment. And dusted himself off before getting up. He looked at Lightning who had her eyes closed; it looked as if she was meditating. "Light…" he whispered, stretching out a hand to help her up. Lightning accepted his help but something had changed since he had been talking to her. She had returned to her usual cold and calculated self.

"Nothing happened." she snapped at Snow. "If you want to keep your manhood intact I would suggest you hold your tongue."

"Yeah… I tripped. There was some turbulence." said Hope, trying his hardest to aid Lightning.

"That's what they all say." chimed Serah happily, holding her fingers up in a heart shape around Lightning and Hope.

"Serah!" Lightning gasped, blushing for a second time.

"At least she finally realised her feelings for you loverboy." Snow interjected before Lightning could respond. This time Hope blushed instead.

"Snow!" Hope shouted. Mirroring Lightnings previous distress. "It's not like that."

"What is it like then then?" the happy couple sang in unison. Obviously letting their imaginations run wild.

"Uhh…" Hope physically showed that he was thinking. But Lightning was quicker to react.

"We're just friends. That's all we'll ever be."

Hope was astounded. _'Was all that had just happened between them only an elaborate joke?'_

But Snow and Serah didn't look convinced.

"You have to at least admit it was cute though Lightning." Serah half teased.

Lightning didn't react other than nodding slightly. But Hope noticed a faint pinkness of her cheeks. Lightning then sat down by her window seat and continued to gaze out of it, deep in thought for the remainder of the journey. Hope had noticed and so had Snow and Serah. However they did not intervene again.

Hope sat in silence too, contemplating Lightning's words. _'Just friends… I wonder if she meant that.'_ He thought of asking her, although he accepted that now was not the time. Especially since Serah and Snow were probably listening to every word they said.

Hope instead reached inside his backpack and pulled out the two bottles of Chocobo Cider from earlier. _'I can use this to get rid of the tension between us.'_ he concluded triumphantly. _'And maybe I_ _can find out what I want to know.'_

He placed one bottle in the cup holder beside his seat and poked Lightning with the other. She whipped around her face looking anxious at first, then changing to being pleasantly surprised. Hope held out the bottle and said "I almost forgot about these, here take it."

Lightning's face softened and she smiled, it was the smile she always saved for him. "Thank you." She nodded curtly while accepting the drink. As they started on the drinks Lightning abruptly stated, "You owe me one now."

"What? A drink?" Hope asked.

Lightning smirked, "Yes and no."

'_She means for getting us out of that situation with Snow and Serah, how could I be so dense.' _Hope realised. "Oh… I see what you mean." he stated vaguely as he knew Serah and Snow would still be listening to them.

The intercom buzzed and a female voice announced their arrival at Paddra Station.

"We're here! Wake up Serah!" Snow shouted while jumping out of his seat and running out of the door.

"Snow! Slow down, you know I can't keep up with you." Serah moaned, even though the large man was already out of her sight. She grabbed her bag and ran out the door in search of her fiancé.

"What was that about?" Lightning asked.

"I know." Hope replied secretively.

Lightning stared him down. Trying to get an answer.

"I'm not telling you. It's meant to be a surprise." Hope answered, and then said "Anyway, we're 'just friends'."

"You know I didn't mean that."

"It didn't sound like it."

"What do you want me to say?" Lightning asked angrily. Hope paused considering his next words carefully. "Do you want me to say I like you? Do you want the truth?"

"It's better than a lie." Hope said in a completely serious voice.

"What if I do like you? You can't see me in that way too." She said her voice wavering with nervousness.

"But you know I feel that way about you Light… I-I… like you. A lot."

"I need some time to think about this." She answered solemnly. Lightning then proceeded to get up and left the train, leaving Hope alone.

'_Damn…'_ He thought as he got up to leave. Then he noticed something glistening on the floor in front of him. It was Lightning's necklace. He picked it up and kept it in his coat pocket so he could give it to her later. _'I'll try to look after you too.'_ He remembered his promise and decided to stick to it.

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**Authors Notes**

**That was interesting. I wonder how Hope plans to woo Lightning? Or what's so exciting about the ruins at Paddra. Anyway please review or something, feedback is always appreciated. **


	4. Chapter 4: Trust

**Authors Notes**

**I liked writing this chapter, I think some parts of it are very cute. I hope you agree.**

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Chapter 4: Trust

"Hey Light. Wait up!" Hope shouted rushing off the train. He was intent on returning Lightning's necklace. He barged out of the trains doors and stopped and stared at the station. It was a lot bigger than he remembered. When he was originally here studying the ruins with the Academy the train station only had one platform and was for Academy personnel only. Now it had evolved into a fully-fledged station with more than one platform and trains arriving every minute from all around pulse.

"Hope!" Snow shouted, his head clearly visible over the rest of the crowd. "Hurry up. You're gonna get left behind."

"Don't worry about me!" Hope reassured him. "I'll meet you on the outside."

Snow nodded and easily sifted through the crowd to the stairs leading out of the station. Lightning and Serah followed in his wake. As Lightning reached the stairs she looked back for Hope and smiled and Hope grinned right back.

"I'll be there soon! Trust me!" He yelled while jostling with fellow citizens. Obviously they didn't recognise him, he couldn't go anywhere in Academia without being followed by a crowd. 'It's nice to have a change of pace.' he thought cheerfully, knowing that Lightning would be waiting for him…

Eventually Hope made it out of the congested station. He looked around for his friends but could not see them anywhere.

"Hope!" a quieter voice shouted as if muffled. It was Serah she was pushing her way through to him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowd to a less busy area.

"You didn't have to do that." Hope started. "Thanks though."

"I did." Serah said panting with exhaustion. "Lightning was getting claustrophobic and Snow was getting impatient."

"Ah. Okay." Hope replied, giving in. He knew what Snow was like when he got impatient. But he didn't know that Lightning had a problem with crowds. "Oh and Lightning…"

"Yes." She replied.

"You dropped this." He said holding out her pendant expectantly.

Lightning quickly looked down at where the pendant used to be. "Hmm… I didn't even notice. Thanks" she said with the utmost sincerity. Although her eyes glinted when she looked back at Hope, which lead him to believe she had planned this all along as some kind of test. He smiled to himself knowing that he passed.

Lightning reached out to grab the trinket. But Hope pulled it away.

"What? Don't I get a reward?" He joked.

"Nope." she replied stoically, lightly hitting him in the shoulder whilst snatching the possession.

'That was weird.' thought Hope disappointedly. 'I expected a hug or a handshake or something.'

"Come on lovebirds! We ain't got all day!" Snow shouted a bit too loudly, snapping Hope out of his daydreaming and causing Lightning to glare at him furiously.

Snow and Serah ran along the pavement hand in hand with Lightning and Hope walked and talked closely behind them. Until they reached a bus stop.

"More travel." Lightning commented, visibly annoyed by how long it was taking to get to the Paddra ruins.

"Don't worry Light." Serah tried to subdue Lightning. "It's not far now and if you're tired I'm sure Hope won't mind you resting on his shoulder." She finished.

Lightning glared at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Serah asked. "You know you want to." She said smiling and nudging Lightning in the ribs.

"You're so embarrassing!" Lightning groaned.

"Ah ha! You didn't disagree though!" shouted Serah triumphantly making a fist much like her fiancé would.

"For makers sake…" Lightning replied while shaking her head. Her cheeks had become a little pinker though.

Snow and Hope simply stood back and chuckled at the women they loved arguing.

"What are you laughing at!" Lightning shouted in frustration.

"Uh, Nothing…" Both men said while pretending they had not been paying attention…

Lightning and Serah continued to argue, until the bus turned up ten minutes later. The two couples boarded the bus and took seats opposite sides of the bus from each other to reduce the amount of arguments.

Serah and Snow avidly looked out the window spotting the renovations in the city and Hope and Lightning talked a little before Lightning rested her head against Hopes shoulder. He looked over slowly and grinned. 'Ha. Serah was right.' He thought. Lightning looked up into his eyes at that moment.

"Thank you for finding my necklace. It means alot." She said simply and hugged him tightly. "I trust you." She added as she laid her head on Hopes lap and went to sleep. Hope just smiled and brushed her hair out of her eyes.

'Wow.' He thought, surprised by Lightning opening up to him suddenly.

It wasn't long before they reached the ruins of the old civilization of Paddra. Hope looked down at Lightning, who was still sleeping soundly. He didn't want to wake her as she looked so serene. But he had to. He stroked her hair. "Lightning…" he whispered, his voice raspy from lack of hydration.

She opened her eyes almost before he finished saying her name.

"We're here." He finished.

She sprung up. Accidently placing her hand on Hopes crotch.

"Ow… Light!" He yelped.

"Sorry… I was just excited. (Not in that way. Pervs. - Sir E) I haven't been here before." She explained.

Snow and Serah were already out of the bus and were mouthing "Hurry up." at Hope and Lightning. So they disembarked. Snow was jumping about he was so excited.

"So Hope, where should we go first? Since you know this place better than anyone." Snow asked.

"I know the perfect place follow me." Hope started. 'This is going to be great.' He thought optimistically…

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**Authors Notes**

**Sorry to leave it on a cliffhanger but I can't write forever. I imagined the station to be a lot like Kings Cross in London or something like that. I hope you liked this chapter. If you did, send me a review or favourite this story.**


	5. Chapter 5: Bliss

**Authors Notes**

**I love this chapter, its exactly the way I pictured it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.**

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Chapter 5: Bliss

"Are we there yet?!" Snow shouted from behind his voice echoing around the ruins.

"Uh… I'm pretty sure it's around the next corner." Hope lied.

Lightning walked around the corner and looked at Hope, "Where are we going anyway?" She asked.

Hope pondered for a moment. "I can't tell you. It'll ruin the surprise." He answered.

"Sounds to me like you're lost." Said a voice with a strange accent.

Hope spun around ready to argue that he was not lost before realising that Fang was standing behind him. "I'm no- OH! Hey Fang."

"Nice to see you too." She added nodding at Lightning. "I've got good news, and I've got bad news. Good news is Vanille knows where we need to go."

"Great let's go." Hope suggested.

"Not so fast. The bad news is… she ran ahead of me and now I can't find her." Fang finished sadly.

The trio heard footsteps coming towards them. Unfortunately it was not Vanille. It was Snow and Serah. Snow was giving Serah a piggyback, '_Obviously she got tired on the way.'_ Hope deduced.

"Fang? What are you doing here?" Snow asked.

"It's a long story." Hope interjected before leaning against the wall his arm moving the rock slightly. While the others discussed why Hope had brought them here he tried putting more weight on the wall. Lightning looked over noticing him straining.

"Hope are you okay?" She asked. Suddenly the wall shifted to reveal a secret door.

Snow noticed what had happened next. "Good work Hope." He said slapping the smaller man on the back as he walked past. _'Yeah thanks for nothing Snow.'_ Hope thought relived that he found the entrance.

* * *

It was truly as wonderful as Hope had inferred. It was the best surprise ever. Lightning and Serah simply stared at the chamber; at the magnificent cave drawings and a multitude of crystals that lined the ceiling and walls. There were sapphires, emeralds, rubies and even some diamonds. They glowed for some reason and lit the room with their multiple colours.

"Wow." Snow and the Farron sisters murmured in unison gazing at the amazing array of colours.

"Wait!" Hope shouted. "The best is yet to come." as he pointed over to some natural springs in the corner of the chamber.

As Hope pointed a head of red hair appeared out of the clear water.

"Hey guys!" Vanille yelled cutely while scrambling out of the spring. She wasn't wearing much except a red bikini. She ran over to them. "Glad to see you made it." She said happily.

"It would been easier to find if you stayed with me, you little rascal." Fang complained while pulling Vanille in for a hug.

Vanille chuckled slightly and her cheeks tinged pink.

Hope then directed his gaze at Serah, "I think now is a good time to have lunch."

Serah looked at him confusedly. "What? –Oh! Now I remember." She said while dropping to her knees and taking the backpack off of her back. She unzipped the bag and pulled out an array of picnic supplies. Snow dropped the Ice box he had been carrying and started handing out refreshments.

"Here you go." He said offering Hope a bottle of Chocobo Cider.

"Thanks." Hope answered. Then he remembered, _'Chocobo Cider is Light's favourite too.'_ "Hey." He called after Snow. "Can I get another?"

"Sure buddy. Knock yourself out." Snow joked.

"Haha, you're _sooo_ funny!" Hope retorted sarcastically.

Unfortunately Serah noticed his sarcasm. "Hope! What did I say about being sarcastic." She moaned.

Hope shrugged and he walked over to Lightning. "I got you a drink." He said holding it out for her.

"Thanks." She smiled and then looked like she was pondering something. "Why don't you join me?" She asked politely, patting the ground beside her.

"Sure, why not." Hope answered smiling as he sat down. _'This is perfect.'_ Hope realised watching Serah sorting out the food while Vanille jumped back in the water. Fang went to get changed so she could join her. He took a swig of his cider. _'Absolutely perfect.'_ He thought turning his head to face Lightning. At that moment she blushed and looked away. 'Was she looking at me this whole time?' Hope asked himself.

Lightning soon asked Hope a question. "Why do they glow?" she asked vaguely.

"What? The Crystals?"

She nodded.

"Oh- It's because of the molten lava that flows around this chamber." Hope said nonchalantly.

"What?!" Lightning cried, worry filling her eyes. "Surely that isn't safe."

"It's perfectly stable. Don't worry so much Light." Hope said calmly and boldly wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Besides I'll keep you safe, trust me."

Suddenly she relaxed. "I trust you Hope." She said looking him directly in the eyes.

They both stared at each other for a moment.

"Food is out, get some before Snow eats it all." Serah shouted, smiling at her fiancé who was stuffing his face.

Hope got up faster than Lightning and rushed to get some food before it was gone. Lightning had simply waited for him to come back, trusting that he would get something for her.

Hope returned with a plate full of sandwiches, pork pies, and salad. He took one of the sandwiches and bit into it. "Mmm, Serah makes the best sandwiches." He commented as he sat down.

"Where do you think she learnt it from?" Lightning said pointing a thumb at herself.

"Oh." Hope said.

* * *

Soon after eating Hope got changed into his swimming trunks and was going to join the others who had already changed. All of them except Lightning that is.

"Come on Lightning." Serah moaned, "You might like it…" She suggested, pouting slightly.

It seemed to work. Lightning trudged off behind a rock with her back pack. She came back out wearing a white bikini. Which Hope couldn't help but think made her look amazing.

Snow shouted down to the others from the top of the spring "Watch out below! Big fella coming your way!" then proceeded to cannonball into the water, which soaked all of them including Lightning. They all laughed and Lightning just sighed.

"I need another drink." She groaned, walking over to the ice box.

Hope watched her go but decided to jump in and join Snow after a few minutes. Hope managed to splash Snow when he jumped in and Snow returned the favour by dunking Hopes head under the water.

Hope spluttered as he rose out of the water. Only to hear Serah moaning at Snow. "Snow. Play nice!" She shouted dominatingly.

"Sorry Hope." Snow muttered.

"It's okay." Hope said to Serah. "We were messing around."

Lightning had re-joined the group now and sat with the other three women at the side of the pool. She took a sip of her drink.

It was not long before Hope had another bold idea. "Aren't any of you going to join us?" He asked winking at Snow, who understood his devious intent.

"Yeah." Snow started, sticking his finger in the water. "It's nice and warm." He said.

Serah immediately jumped in and joined Snow and Fang and Vanille just shrugged. Fang took a running jump into the spring. Followed shortly after by Vanille who executed a perfect swan dive.

Lightning stayed out everyone shouted for her to join them but it didn't seem like she wanted to.

Hope had hatched yet another plan. He climbed out of the spring and talked to Lightning. "Come on Light it'll be fun." Hope tried to persuade her. "Okay…" she conceded quicker than Hope had expected. A small smile appeared on her face. _'This is gonna be a very gutsy move.'_ he thought. He held out his hand to her, then suddenly grabbed her, picked her up bridal style and jumped into the water…

* * *

**Authors Notes**

**Ohhh... Hope. What you got yourself into now.**


	6. Chapter 6: Turquoise

Chapter 6: Turquoise

As he was falling Hope realised this could go very well or catastrophically wrong. _'She'll see the funny side.'_ He reassured himself. He managed to get a glimpse of Lightning before he hit the water. She was clinging to him for dear life but at the same time she had nuzzled her head close to his chest and her lips curled up in a satisfied grin. _'Is she smiling?'_ Hope thought excitedly as he impacted with the water.

Water rushed past the couple enveloping them in its warmth. Hope was first to resurface. He grinned at his friends as they applauded and shouted various congratulatory phrases like, "You got her good Loverboy." Hopes victory was short lived as he looked around to see Lightning holding her leg while trying to stay afloat.

"Light!" he yelped. "Are you okay?" he asked caringly.

She winced. "I think I pulled a muscle." She answered vaguely.

"Ohhhh. Hope is in trouble!" Snow scoffed while trying to stifle his laughter.

Lightning simply glared at Snow to shut him up and Snow grabbed Serah and put her in front of himself as some kind of protection.

"Can you help me out of the spring?" Lightning asked her sad features changing to a smirk for a mere second.

"Sure." Hope said. _'Anything for her. Besides it's kinda my fault.'_

He climbed up and offered Lightning his hand as he reached the precipice. She took it without hesitation smiling mischievously all along. _'Something is not quite right.'_ Hope thought cautiously. Before he could figure out what was happening, Lightning yanked his arm and pulled him into the water.

'_Oh.'_ Hope thought as he fell.

He impacted with the water stomach first and it almost winded him. Hope was in the water for only a few moments before he heard another body hit the water nearby. He looked around to see that Lightning had followed him. She was beaming a warm smile right at him. She swam over and pointed up to signal that they needed to resurface. Hope understood and pushed against the ground to propel himself up out of the water. When he resurfaced he managed to splash his companions.

Lightning came out of the water laughing while Hope chuckled slightly at the sight of their soaked friends.

"Not cool Hope." Serah moaned.

"Don't worry Serah." Snow comforted her. "I'll protect you."

"Aww… My Hero." Serah chimed.

Hope continued laughing as he turned to look at Lightning. She had already been looking at him and not for the first time Hope realized how beautiful she was. She smiled but something had changed in her. She looked at him with longing look in her eyes, as if she wanted to be with him. _'All she would have to do is say yes.'_ Hope concluded. But this lead him onto another thought.

"Hey Light!" He yelled as she exited the pool. "Wait up."

She simply looked down and rolled her eyes jokingly.

When Hope had climbed out of the spring he continued trying to get on Lightning's good side. Firstly he saw her shivering and wrapped a towel around her.

"Thanks." She murmured through chattering teeth while she blushed furiously.

* * *

Later when they had all dried off, they sat around a campfire that Hope had made using a mirror and a few sticks. The blaze was growing higher and higher as Snow added firewood. Hope then decided to show off something he had learned when he had visited the ruins when he was younger. He grabbed two dislodged crystals, one emerald and one sapphire. Then he walked over to the fire and smashed them together over the fire. Some crystal dust was created and it fell into the fire turning the fire turquoise.

Lightning had been watching him the whole time and couldn't help but gasp at his trick. Hope heard her and smiled.

"Do you want to try it Light?" He asked politely. "Careful, you might get burned." He mentioned.

"I'll be fine." She answered getting up swiftly. She grabbed the gemstones and then recoiled slightly as they were warmer than she had expected. She clacked the jewels together and as the flames turned turquoise she smiled and met Hope's gaze. The light of the flames were reflected in their eyes as their faces inched closer…

"WOAH! What was that?!" Snow shouted like an exited child. He pushed between Lightning and Hope. "You have to show me how to do that." He ordered Hope.

Hope however was preoccupied with Lightning. She pouted and then walked over to talk with the other women.

"What? Sorry." Hope said still enthralled by Lightning. _'Why'd you have to interrupt?'_ He thought grimacing at Snow for a second.

"Show me how you did that thing." Snow asked vaguely.

"Oh right." Hope answered sadly while picking up the rocks. Snow burned himself a few times before he managed to get it right. He then giggled and ran off to show Serah.

* * *

As the fire started to diminish the former L'Cie decided to sort out the sleeping arrangements for the night.

"Okay" Snow started. "We have three tents, so that's one for me and Serah, one for Vanille and Fang…"

Fang nodded happily and Vannile blushed.

"…and one for Lightning. Sorry Hope, looks like you get to sleep in the wilderness."

Hope simply frowned at this, he was sure Lightning wouldn't mind sharing with him. _'Snow you bastard, I curse you a thousand times over.'_ It probably wasn't his fault Hope guessed. 'Serah had probably wanted to protect her sister… Or me.'

"Fine…" Hope whispered looking down at his feet sadly.

Lightning immediately looked up. "No. It's fine I don't mind sharing."

'_Perhaps this trip will be even more memorable than I thought.'_ Hope decided and smiled slightly.

* * *

**Authors Notes**

**I really like this chapter. I think it shows how far Lightning has come. Anyway I left it on a cliffhanger anyway... sorry about that. Give me a review so that I know what you think of this chapter because I personally think it is very cute. I'll see you guys in the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7: She's so cute

Chapter 7: "She's so cute when she's flustered."

Hope stood beside a small pool of water as he brushed his teeth and cleaned his face. _'I have to make the best impression possible on Lightning.'_ He convinced himself. He looked around to see Lightning sitting by her tent staring at the dying embers of the campfire. She looked worried which for some reason made Hope worried too. She looked up from the fire and her gaze automatically fixed on him. She blushed a little and Hope waved which only made her blush more as she waved back. _'I might actually have a shot with her.'_ Hope considered as he finished washing his face. He walked back to the tent dabbing his face as he went.

"Hey." He said nonchalantly while moving his fingers through his hair. _'Is that the best you can come up with Esthiem?'_ His inner critic mocked.

"Hi." Lightning replied, keeping her composure but not making any eye contact.

"Can I sit with you?" Hope asked politely, making sure that she was okay in his presence.

She still didn't look at him but nodded curtly.

'_What's up with her?'_ Hope asked anxiously. _'Why's she acting so weird?'_ He continued to ask himself. Hope decided to ask her, "Light, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." She answered quickly.

'_There is definitely something wrong. I can tell when she's lying.'_ Hope summarised. _'Perhaps she is scared of the other's eavesdropping on us?'_ He suddenly realised. Hope moved a little closer to Lightning so he could whisper to her but as soon as he did so her expression changed to panic and she moved a little further away from him. "Light wait. I only want talk to you." Hope said half chuckling at her. She sat down again awkwardly. _'She's so cute when she's flustered.' _Hope thought suddenly and smiled.

He leaned closer so he was in whispering distance. "Are you worried Serah and Snow will eavesdrop on us?" He whispered calmly even though he was smiling because of the way Lightning acted.

She nodded but still didn't look at Hope directly.

'_Why won't she look at me?'_ Hope wondered but decided to ask that question later.

"Don't worry about that Light. They're too preoccupied with themselves. Look." He murmured while pointing to the two tents that were on the opposite side of the fire. Snow was messing about with his tent while Serah was in it, picking it up and shaking it about and Vanille was sitting inside her tent reading a book while Fang waited beside her, watching Vanille meticulously.

Lightning smiled slightly and nodded this time.

"See. Nothing to worry about, it's just you and me." Hope explained.

Lightning finally looked at him left eyebrow raised questioningly. "Hmm…" She murmured.

"What?" Hope asked getting slightly uncomfortable under Lightning's gaze_. 'She has that look in her eyes again, like she had earlier.' _Hope noticed. _'That look which definitely says that she likes me.'_ He re-evaluated. Hope smiled awkwardly and chuckled nervously.

"Okay. I can cope with that." Lightning suddenly broke the silence.

Hope exhaled as he had been holding his breath the whole time. "Only cope?" He asked cockily.

"Yes." Lightning replied rolling her eyes. Then punched Hope lightly in the arm and smiled a little bit.

She looked like she was focusing for a moment then asked another question, "So how's life in the big city?"

Hope hesitated before answering. _'I'm not sure whether to tell her the truth or not.'_ Hope considered. _'I can trust her.'_ He decided. "It's lonely." He said honestly.

"How can you be lonely in a city?" Lightning asked.

"Being the Director has its perks but it also has its downsides." Hope explained. "One of those downsides is that you don't have many friends, only subordinates."

"I thought Noel and Allyssa live close by." Lightning commented sadly.

"I guess…" Hope said unsurely and continued, "Noel is basically my only friend and Allyssa just stalks me." He continued but chuckled a little bit. "How about you? How are you getting on with Serah and Snow in new Bodhum?" Hope asked, hoping to divert the conversation away from himself.

"It's good, I think it's what Serah wants and if she's happy that's good enough for me." Lightning briefly explained.

"What about you though?" Hope asked.

Lightning looked slightly confused then her expression softened and she smiled and hugged Hope.

"Okay?" Said Hope confusedly.

"Nobody normally asks how I'm feeling." Lightning replied. "Thank you."

'_Really?'_ Thought hope worriedly. "So is it good or not?" Hope said slyly.

"It is good. I'm learning to endure Snow and I'm happy for the first time in ages. The only problem I have is how loud Serah and Snow are sometimes." Lightning explained happily.

"What do you mean?" Hope asked?

Lightning raised her eyebrow again. "You really don't know?"

Hope thought about it for a moment. _'Snow and Serah were being loud and it didn't annoy lightning but she didn't seem comfortable talking about it.'_ "Hmm…" Hope said to fill the silence. _'That means they were… Oh… now I get it.'_

"Oh really?" A mortified Hope asked. "They were doing that…"

"It's only natural." Lightning said. "You're still so naïve sometimes Hope." She exclaimed.

Hope put his hand to his forehead. "Can we stop talking about this now?"

Lightning laughed at his reaction and Hope found himself joining her. Lightning's laugh was contagious. Not to mention extremely rare. "I can't believe it took you so long to understand." Lightning explained.

"Yeah, okay… Let's move on to another subject." He said embarrassment slowly filling his cheeks with colour. "Are you still in the army?" Hope asked curiously.

"No not anymore." Lightning sighed.

"You look like you miss it." Hope said sadly.

"I do." Lightning explained. "Unfortunately your new military has high expectations of its troops and I can't join because I have none of the necessary qualifications."

"But you're the best fighter I've ever seen." Hope complimented.

"Thank you, that doesn't change much when you have to obtain special medical training or special ops training to get in now. To be honest it's a bit elitist." Lightning explained.

"Hmm… maybe I need to make some changes." Hope considered. "Wait I know. Why don't you work with me?"

"You could do that?"

"Of course, I'm the director."

"I don't know. I'd feel bad taking a job from you, besides if I'm working full time I won't be able to Serah as much."

"Okay. I can think of a few solutions. Why don't you teach me how to use a gun blade. I'm definitely strong enough now and you wouldn't be working full hours because you'd be working with Noel and the work would be split equally between the two of you."

"You make a persuasive argument Mr. Estheim, I see why the people wanted you as their leader." Lightning complimented.

"Thank you," Hope said. "You can start whenever you want, just give me a call."

"Okay." Lightning nodded.

After their discussion Hope and Lightning fell silent for a little while just staring at each other. Only a loud snore from one of the other tents managed to break them out of their trance.

Lightning looked back at the embers of the fire and Hope decided to leave her for a while. _'She'll need to think about it.'_ He thought. _'How long were we talking though?'_ He asked himself as he walked over to the cooler to get a drink. Hope realised he didn't mind how long it had been really.

There were still lots of drinks in the cooler so Hope picked out His and Lightning's joint favourite, Chocobo Cider.

He soon approached her again. She saw the drinks in his hand and patted the ground to show that she accepted his gift and that he could sit and drink with her. Hope took a sip of his and looked over to see Lightning had already half-finished hers.

"I think we should go to bed soon." Lightning stated abruptly while nodding at the tents.

Hope nodded. _'I am pretty tired.'_ He thought and held the entrance to the tent open for Lightning.

Now that they were actually in the tent Hope was very nervous. All that talk of Serah and Snow being loud had made his mind veer off into crazy directions. _'No, stop thinking about that.'_ He told himself. Lightning looked worried too but maybe for different reasons. _'I'll ask her.'_ Hope thought.

"What's up Light? You look worried again." Hope asked with a comforting smile.

Lightning sighed then looked Hope directly in the eyes. 'She's so beautiful.' Hope thought. _'No, stop it, focus.'_ He convinced himself.

"The truth is I have nightmares almost every time I sleep, I just wanted to warn you."

"You can talk to me about the nightmares if you want to." Hope suggested caringly. "I still have some pretty bad ones sometimes." He finished sadly, thinking of his mother.

"They're not really that bad." Lightning tried to persuade Hope.

"It's probably better if you talk about it. You don't have to be tough around me remember." Hope said with a genuine smile.

Lightning smiled back but she still hesitated. "They're, um… normally about losing someone I care about." Lightning started.

Hope nodded and smiled supportively showing that he was paying attention.

"Like my Mum and Dad or Serah… or… um… nevermind." She finished and blushed furiously.

"Are some of them about me?" Hope questioned curiously.

Lightning blushed more and nodded shyly.

"Is it the battle against Orphan?" Hope asked.

She nodded again.

"I have that nightmare too. Only you're the one in danger." He said looking at Lightning. _'You're the person I care most for.'_ He added mentally.

Lightning looked at him eyes wide in surprise.

"You care about me a lot, don't you?" She asked even though she knew the answer.

Hope grinned. _'She knows me so well.'_

Lightning suddenly grabbed Hope and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Hope." She whispered.

Hope lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. Her icy blue eyes pierced into his own sea green eyes. "I'll always be there for you Light, we're partners remember."

Lightning smiled and blushed at his kind words. They lay down on the floor of the tent, foreheads together, never breaking eye contact. Lightning smiled and nuzzled her head into Hopes chest.

_'I can't believe this is happening.'_ Hope thought looking at Lightning in his arms. _'She looks so fragile now. She's so cute.'_ Hope concluded before finally succumbing to the ever inviting unconsciousness of sleep…

* * *

**Authors Note**

**Hey if you like this chapter review or favourite, reviews make my day and I hope this chapter makes your day better too.**


	8. Chapter 8: Dreams

Chapter 8: Dreams

Hope groggily stirred as he slowly started to wake up from a very good night of sleep. _'Was everything that happened with Lightning just a wonderful dream.'_ He thought to himself as he slowly regained consciousness. He felt an arm reaching around and clutching his shoulder as he convinced himself that he didn't have to get up right now. A leg intertwined between his and hair seemed to tickle his face every time he tried to move. _'Damn you messy bed hair.' _He thought but soon realised that maybe it wasn't just his hair. He forced an eye open to take a look at the figure lying beside him. _'She is still here. It wasn't a dream.'_ He enthused, as he couldn't believe his eye.

Hope noticed a cute little smile on Lightning's face but now had both eyes open and had started to get up. As he rose from his sleeping bag her smile faded and turned into a pout. _'A pout.'_ He exclaimed internally.

"Don't go…" Lightning mumbled in a sad and sleepy tone.

Hope smiled as her arm groped his sleeping bag, tugging it closer to her.

"Alright…" Hope said wearily still recovering from sleep. He glanced at his alarm clock as he slipped back inside his sleeping bag. _'Wow. Nine hours sleep without a single nightmare.'_ He thought triumphantly. Then he was suddenly struck by an idea. He unzipped his sleeping bag and searched Lightning's for a zip. He found it and unzipped it.

"What are you doing now Hope?" Lightning groaned sleepily, still refusing to open her eyes.

Hope grabbed the two sleeping bag zips and zipped them together then re-entered the little cocoon he had managed to create. "Maybe this will make things easier." He whispered as he snuggled next to Lightning and allowed her to tangle her arms around him.

She smiled again. "You're cute." She muttered, blushing a little, then buried her head in his chest in embarrassment.

"Does that mean you like me?" Hope asked bluntly, smiling as well.

Lightning took a deep breath. "Maybe…" She teased.

Hope chuckled. He knew she did, even if she didn't want to admit it. Lightning would normally never let anyone get this close to her, emotionally or physically. _'Well except Serah.' _Hope admitted.

Hope hugged Lightning closer to him as he returned to the bliss of sleep…

Hopes dreams were filled with happy memories of Lightning and some things which hadn't even happened yet. _'Perhaps it's a vision?'_ Hope thought absent minded. 'No that's superstitious nonsense.' His inner scientist argued. In reality Hope didn't care, when he had her in his arms his worries just seemed to melt away.

After what seemed like only a few minutes Hope was alerted to others outside the tent by the sounds of hushed voices.

"I think they're still asleep." Fang whispered as she paused to listen. "Yep, they're definitely asleep." She confirmed. "I wonder what they got up to last night." Fang murmured under her breath but Hope caught a bit of the conversation.

"Fang!" Serah moaned quietly. "That's my sister you're talking about. Is your mind always in the gutter?" Serah asked almost inaudibly.

There was a pause before Fang answered. "I don't like to think of it that way, but yes. I would definitely have done something if I was in a tent with him." Fang added obviously referring to Hope.

Hope gulped.

"But I thought I was your one and only Fang." Vanille interjected sadly.

There was a sound of someone being pulled against their free will. "Of course you are." Fang said. "You're my little 'Nille." There was a huff and then muffled sounds as Vanille tried to speak.

"Okie dokie Fang." She managed as she took a breath before being pulled into what Hope guessed was a hug.

"So should we open the tent?" Fang asked no one in particular.

Hopes eyes blinked open for a few seconds to see the zip of the tent slowly moving. As if someone was being very careful not to make any noise. He immediately shut his eyes again, pretending to be asleep. _'How did Lightning not hear that?'_ Hope asked rhetorically as the tent was opened fully.

He didn't have time to finish his thought as the trio of women gathered outside the tent simultaneously muttered phrases like, "They're so cute together."

"Quick go and get Snow. He has a camera right?" Vanille half asked, half commanded.

Serah gave a quick "Yep." Then Hope could hear little footsteps walking off.

Hope couldn't believe what they were planning but maybe his friends' treachery wasn't all bad. He blinked an eye open to see Vanille and Fang looking away from the tent. They were still in their pyjamas but Vanille had wrapped Fang's sari around herself like a blanket. Hope had liked Vanille when he was younger and he now realised it was because of how cute and innocent she looked. Hope no longer had as strong feelings for the girl but he still cared about her.

Hope shook himself out of his thoughts and tried shaking Lightning to wake her up but it didn't work, she just shrugged and whispered "Five more minutes." Soon afterwards, loud booming footsteps were approaching in a gleeful manner.

Hope slammed his eyes shut again in order to give the illusion of sleep.

"Wow. I can't believe it." Snow said. He was trying to whisper but even when he whispered the large man was loud.

There was a deadly silence then a click and a flash which startled hope so much the others must have seen him flinch. Although he wasn't the first to get up. Lightning sprang up immediately after the flash.

"Wh-What's going on?" she mumbled groggily.

Snow immediately hid the camera behind his back as Lightning furrowed her brow in annoyance. Hope could tell she was still not completely awake and was sad about the rude awakening.

Hope got up and as he did so the sleeping bag slipped down to show his chest.

Vanille gasped and blushed, Fang smiled appreciatively and even Serah blushed a little bit but also averted her eyes.

Hope saw Lightning glance at his body and smile slightly. A light pink tinge had appeared on her cheeks at the compromising position she now found herself in but it soon disappeared when she remembered whose presence she was in and her face faded to a cold glare.

Vanille then giggled girlishly and ran behind Fang obviously afraid of Lightning's wrath.

Snow could barely keep himself from smirking at how dishevelled the couple looked and quickly whipped out his camera to get some more pictures. He got one more picture before Lightning was out of the tent and chasing him.

"Come back here Snow!" She shouted angrily.

Hope simply laughed with Vanille, Serah and Fang as they watched Snow run with a scared expression on his face.

Hope considered that he didn't mind the picture being taken. _'In fact it could be a good thing.'_ He thought mischievously. _'Lightning and I will always have a picture to remember the time we shared.'_ He concluded, smiling at the thought of having the two pictures framed one day. Serah looked at him briefly and saw him smiling and gave Hope a knowing smile in return. _'How does she always seem to know what I'm thinking? She must be able to see the future or something.'_ Hope's inner scientist was silenced this time and he smiled at Serah knowing she would want to talk to him again soon…

* * *

**Authors Note**

**Sorry I haven't updated any of my stories recently. I've been very busy recently with college work and other projects. I think most of you will like this chapter though, review it if you do and tell me your thoughts. **


	9. Chapter 9: Friends?

Chapter 9: Friends?

The group of L'cie's little expedition was now over and they would soon have to return to Academia or in Vanille and Fang's case back to Oerba. Packing the tents back up was an easy task and Hope kept noticing Lightning glancing at him then looking away when he noticed. He smiled slightly but continued dismantling the tent. Once everything was packed up in bags again the group was ready to trek back to the bus stop.

Before Hope left he searched around the cavern. Snow waited at the entrance for him.

"You coming or not?" Snow asked tiredly.

"Just give me a minute and I'll be there." Hope replied calmly as he found what he was looking for. He scraped away some dirt from the cavern and unearthed a rose coloured ruby which was about the size of the palm of his hand. It was different from the other rubies he had found when he had been here before. It had slight pink lines through it and then a perfect idea struck him. He would have to wait until he got back to Academia before he could do anything about it though. He stuffed the valuable jewel in his coat pocket and then caught up to the others.

"Finally." Snow complained impatiently.

"Shall we go then?" Serah asked with a smile. The whole group nodded in agreement and slowly found their way out of the maze of caves called the Padra ruins. Serah seemed to follow Hope closely and kept a protective eye on him when he was with Lightning.

_'I'm not sure which Farron sister is the scary one anymore.'_ Hope thought anxiously. He knew Lightning was tough and stoic but Serah had some kind of ferocity about her that gave Hope the shivers. He knew she was only being protective of her sister but she still creeped him out sometimes. Then Hope remembered that Serah had wanted to talk to him again. He gulped for the second time today as he was more terrified of Serah than of Lightning.

When the group finally exited the ruins Vanille and fang headed off towards Oerba while the remainder of the group waited at the bus stop so they could be taken back to the train station. Serah kept on giving Hope a few glances and he tried to ignore her. Instead he resorted to simply turning his back on her and talking to Lightning.

"Are you excited?"

"About what?" Lightning asked with an expression of confusion on her face.

"About working with me." Hope explained with a smile.

Lightning smiled back and blushed almost unnoticeably. "Yes, I think it's the perfect job for me." She affirmed. "But I do have to help Serah with unpacking my luggage."

"Oh…" Hope said disappointedly, knowing that that would mean goodbye for a while.

"You could help if you're not busy." Lightning suggested as she looked away from Hope as she blushed.

"Y-Yes of course I'd be happy to." Hope replied urgently and the smiled happily at Lightning. _'She's practically inviting me into her life.'_ Hope thought happily as he smiled at her. "I can bring around the paperwork you'll need to fill out before you can work for me, if you want?" He added.

"That would be helpful. Thank you." Lightning said politely as the bus arrived and the doors creaked open.

The two of them got on to the bus and took the same seats as they had taken last time. The bus was mostly empty anyway. Serah and Snow, however, sat directly behind them. _'Probably so that Serah can spy on us.'_ Hope deduced.

Lightning glanced at Hope as if she wanted to say something to him and he caught her looking out the corner of his eye. Lightning blushed quite a bit more than usual and then simply grabbed on to his arm hugging him tightly.

"Aww…" Whispered Serah from behind them.

Hope decided to ignore Serah and simply released his arm from Lightning's grip then put it around her shoulders so she could be closer to him.

Lightning looked into his eyes briefly but sheepishly. And Hope just smiled lovingly at the girl, which seemed to make her even more embarrassed. _'Light is so cute when she's embarrassed.'_ Hope mused.

The bus ride was very brief and uneventful and the two couples found themselves at Padra station before they knew it. Everyone was tired now it had been a fun but exhausting weekend but it was worth it.

Hope, Lightning, Snow and Serah all stood on the platform waiting for the train which would take them back to Accademia. Snow got tired of waiting and went over to a snack machine to get some food.

"Uh... Can you keep an eye on him Claire?" Serah asked as she watched her fiancé start kicking the snack machine when it was taking too long. "He gets in trouble very easily." She explained.

Lightning sighed but still went over to stop Snow from getting into any trouble. Hope watched her walk away but was soon pulled out of his trance by Serah.

"Hey Hope. It's about time we have another of our little chats." She said maliciously as she patted the bench she was now sitting on.

Hope gulped. _'I suppose I don't have a choice.'_ He conceded.

He joined Serah on the bench and she immediately started talking to him in a hushed voice, probably so that she did not alert Lightning.

"You better not hurt her Estheim." She said seriously.

There was now no doubt in Hope's mind that Serah was the scariest of the Farron sisters. Hope left his mouth open in awe of what Serah had just said to him. Serah raised her eyebrow in a questioning way.

Hope gulped. "Are you... threatening me?" He asked cautiously.

Serah looked at him solemnly. "All I'm saying is that if you break my sister's heart I'll break your legs."

Hope looked at the small girl in front of him, trying to figure out how she would break his legs. _'I probably don't want to find out.'_ He concluded.

"I-I would never do that to her." Hope stuttered nervously.

"I trust you." Serah said while smiling. "Anything else you want to confess? Like what you were doing in that tent?" Serah said and giggled at Hopes already reddening cheeks.

Hope laughed uncomfortably. "I have no idea what you are talking about." Hope said whilst ruffling his hair.

Serah looked at Hope sceptically.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hope asked.

Serah smiled at him knowingly. "Are you trying to tell me nothing happened, between two adults?"

"Yeah." Hope replied a little too quickly.

"For some reason I have a hard time believing that." Serah continued and rolled her eyes.

Hope sighed. "We cuddled a little but nothing serious." Hope explained nonchalantly.

The train rolled into the station as Hope finished talking. He looked at it, then back to Serah. "I'll look after her. I promise." Hope said as he held out his hand to help Serah up.

"Okay, I trust you. Just don't break her heart." Serah said as she accepted his hand.

Snow and lightning returned as soon as Hope and Serah had stopped talking. Snow had an armful of soda cans and Lightning was sipping a can that he had given her.

"Looks like you two sorted out your differences." Serah commented.

"He isn't as bad as I thought." Lightning explained as she clinked her soda can against Snow's.

Snow smiled, "Yeah Lightning is awesome. You should have seen how she knocked out this one security guard who tried to stop us taking the cans." He explained as they walked onto the train.

_'Perhaps everything will work out just fine.'_ Hope considered and smiled.

* * *

**Authors Note**  
**Everything may be fine but what is Hope planning to do with the ruby that he found? Only time will tell.**


	10. Chapter 10: Home and Family

Chapter 10: Home and Family

Hope gazed lazily out of the train's window at the pulsian landscape. It never ceased to amaze him how this new world of vibrant colour used to be so greatly feared by the citizens of Cocoon. _'But that was a while ago.'_ He thought nostalgically. More of the green pastures flew past the window as the train went up a gear. Hope could already feel his excitement growing as it had been a week and a half since he had last seen Lightning and he couldn't wait to see her again.

_'Just thinking about her makes my heart race.'_ He thought, smiling as he grabbed his briefcase. _'I must have checked it ten times already but I'll check again just to make sure.'_ he told himself as he opened the front compartment of the briefcase. Sure enough there was the necklace he had got the jeweller to make. It was simple, a thin silver chain with a pink ruby in the shape of a rose attached on a gold alloy depiction of Cocoon. It was similar to the necklaces Serah and Snow shared, only this one was much more expensive._ 'I really want her to like it.'_

* * *

It had been a full one hour journey but finally Hope had made it to the station at New Bodhum. _'The small town is a lot smaller than its predecessor but still somehow has the same feelings attached to it.'_ Hope pondered. The train doors opened with a mechanical buzz and Hope stepped out of the train to the smell of the ocean and surprisingly fields full of wild flowers which seemed to line the tops of some of the buildings. "It truly is a beautiful town." He muttered under his breath.

"Sure is." A familiar voice to his right confirmed.

Hope whipped his head towards the familiar voice to see an even more familiar face staring right back at him. "Sazh!" He exclaimed happily, embracing the old man.

"It's been too long kid." Sazh chuckled like a loving father as Hope let go of him. "What brings you to our neck of the woods?" The old man asked curiously.

Hope tapped his briefcase. "I'm here to visit Serah and Snow."

"And Lightning?" Sazh interjected knowingly.

Hope looked at the old man in disbelief. _'How did he know?'_ He wondered.

Sazh burst out laughing and grabbed Hope by the shoulders. "I'll take you to their house; I've got the airship business up and running so we can be there in five minutes. Don't worry friends of mine get free trips." Sazh explained.

"Um... How long would it take to get there normally?" Hope asked.

"Hmm." The airship pilot thought for a moment. "On foot it would take you twenty minutes."

"Wow, I apreciate the help then." Hope said while grinning at his old friend.

Sazh stepped onto his airship and started the engine. "You won't believe how great the view is when you're up in the air!" He shouted from the cockpit. "Come on get on already!"

* * *

Hope now leaned on a railing as the airship rose into the air. The small town becoming a patchwork quilt of fields and roofs. _'The view truly is amazing.'_ Hope confirmed and smiled.

"Enjoying the view?" Sazh asked, as if he knew exactly what the young man was thinking.

"It's definitely something I won't forget in a hurry." Hope joked.

Sazh looked as though he was deep in thought for a moment, "Hey, would you consider buying a house here?" He asked.

"I'm not sure. It certainly is a nice place but it's an hour away from Accademia." Hope explained.

"I see..." The old man started. "Why not have it as a vacation home, for when you come to visit Lightning?" He suggested.

Hope smiled. "I'll definitely keep it in mind." He said as he laughed with the old man.

The airship began to slow down as they reached their destination on the beach. "I guess this is my stop." Hope joked, light-heartedly.

"I'll see you around kid I've got money to make!" Sazh shouted as the airship took off again. "Oh and before I forget, tell Serah and Snow I'll be coming around later so we can have a proper reunion!"

"I will." Hope replied with a smile.

* * *

Now that Hope had reached the house he was surprised by the very unstructured nature of its construction. _'I suppose Snow built it.'_ He added mentally. But it was nice looking and had a homely feel to it despite being a bit chaotic. Hope briskly walked up the veranda to the front door and knocked. It was opened almost immediately by Snow as he came barging out and ran straight past Hope. Snow started jogging backwards as he looked back towards the house.

"Oh hey Hope! I didn't notice you there!" The blond haired idiot shouted as he jogged along the beach.

"Uh..." Hope managed, even though he was confused.

"Snow!" An angry voice which was undeniably Lightning's shouted from within the house. "Give me back my diary you jerk!"

_'Lightning has a diary?'_ Hope thought confusedly. Before he knew it the door opened again. _*thud*_

* * *

_'What the hell was that?'_ Hope wondered. _'Huh? I must have got hit in the head.'_ The young man struggled to move but he was pined to the ground. He opened his eyes to see Lightning wearing a skirt and floral shirt sitting on his stomach looking dazed. As soon as she noticed his eyes were open she blushed a little bit.

"I'm so sorry Hope. I didn't mean to hurt you, damn it Snow." She apologised.

"...Don't worry about it. I'll be fine." Hope told her in reply. "Could you get off of me though?" He said with a smile.

"Oh... Sorry." She apologised again. "Don't look." Lightning added while blushing a deep shade of red.

"What?" Hope muttered in incomprehension.

_'I can see her pa-'_ Hope cut himself off mid thought as Lightning stood up. Lightning tried to cover herself with her skirt. But it was too late, judging from the reddening of Hope's cheeks.

"Um... It's nice to see you Light." Hope said to break the awkward silence.

"You looked didn't you?" Lightning asked with a scowl.

Hope just smiled dumbly, even though he was scared of what Lightning was going to do to him now.

"Well it can't be helped." She conceded and offered Hope her hand.

"Thanks." Hope mumbled taking her hand but as soon as he grasped her hand Lightning let go and let him fall backwards. "Ow. Okay I get it I shouldn't have looked." Hope said with a hint of remorse.

Then the two of them burst out laughing at the silly situation they found themselves in.

Lightning recovered from her laughing fit first, "Come in Hope. You got here just in time to help finishing the unpacking." Lightning said cheerfully.

* * *

Once inside Hope really got a feel for how truly homely Serah and Snow's abode was. It smelled like someone was cooking in the kitchen. All that was missing was the sound of children running around the house. For the first time in a long time Hope felt at home on pulse and it sort of felt like he had a family again.

"Hey Hope can you help me with these boxes?" Lightning asked from the living room.

Hope smiled "Yeah, I'll be there in a second." He replied as he hung up his coat and carefully placed his briefcase on the floor.

_'I'm home.'_ He thought happily.


	11. Announcement

This is just a short announcement to state that, I'm not going to be doing many stories anymore as I simply do not have the time anymore. As I have grown older my life has become more complicated and because of that I haven't been able to write any stories or new chapters to put on here. I know this might be distressing for some of you but don't worry too much I'm not going to leave completely, I'm just toning down this hobby in favour of other hobbies and my career.

Since I haven't been too clear so far let me go into some detail, even though I know I am rambling. One of the reasons for stopping writing is my carrer and other hobbies which I want to dedicate more time and effort to, the reason for that is that writing these stories takes up a lot of time and even made me get kicked out of sixth form (english Pre-Uni Education) and it decreased my productivity. Another reason is that I don't personally think that I, a (now) 19 year old male, should write fanfiction in such a dedicated way. This doesn't mean I hate fanfiction, I love the creativity of some writers and their way with words it really helps you learn how to write in a concise but fluent manner. Overall what I'm trying to say is I'm stopping but not completely, just don't expect consistent updates from me.

And if you're worried about me getting kicked out of school that was simply because I was too focused on this and didn't put enough effort into my school work, but now everything is fine I've finished some further education and next year I will be going to Uni.

In terms of this story and this whole announcement, I will be discontinuning this story. The main reason for this is not just because I don't think I'll have the time to finish it but also because I felt the way Lightning was portrayed in it was very out of character which is something I hope to fix in other stories. If you're still reading this and are interested in my work still you should check out my other stories An Education and Anger and Mercy as these are stories that I hope to continue and conclude.

I'll leave you with this. Don't feel sorry for me, always remeber to follow your dreams and work hard for them cause if you don't work hard for them they'll remain as dreams.

I hope you have a nice day.

\- Sir Estheim I


End file.
